The river flows south through Burma and the Andaman Sea, providing a beautifully picturesque conduit between between like Bagan, Mandalay and Bhamo. There are plenty of options to cruise the river – including express boats between Bagan and Madalay, which take around 10 hours, and luxurious riverboat options, which allows you the freedom and time to observe Burmese life on both sides of the river. On the waters you’ll no doubt also encounter saltwater crocodiles, sea turtles and the Irrawaddy Dolphin, whilst in the air you may well run into the White-Bellied Sea Eagle, several species of kingfisher and the Vernal Hanging Parrot. The land here is exquisite and you’ll pass through lush forests filled with mangroves, rice paddies and a number of wildlife sanctuaries.